Woman charged with stealing drugs from pharmacy

A pharmacy assistant working at the Spring Lake Rite-Aid has been charged with stealing $7,000 worth of prescription drugs.

Patrice Dennett McCloud, 44, of 2132 Sixth, Muskegon Heights, was arraigned Wednesday in Ottawa County's 58th District Court on a charge of embezzling more than $1,000 but less than $2,000.

Her pre-preliminary examination will be 8 a.m. Tuesday. She was released on a $3,000 personal recognizance bond.

McCloud's arrest stemmed from an internal investigation by a Rite-Aid loss prevention official who had noticed in January the pharmacy was coming up short of several prescription drugs at the Spring Lake outlet, 603 E. Savidge

The official began keeping a record of which employees were in the store at the time the prescription drugs turned up missing and soon focused on McCloud. On March 11, a surveillance camera recorded McCloud placing bottle of prescription drugs in her pocket.

McCloud was confronted and the Spring Lake/Ferrysburg Police Department was contacted. According to records, McCloud admitted taking eight different drugs over a six-month period.

She said she would place the drugs in her pocket, then later transfer the drugs to a pharmacy shopping bag. Drugs she admitted to taking included Cialis, Promethazin, Zanax, Alprozolan, Norco, Vicodin, Seroquel and cough syrup.

She told officers she gave some of the drugs away but took some for herself because she suffers from chronic pain and is addicted to medications.